Three Days
by S. Mark Gunther
Summary: Todd and Wanda have a fight. A bad fight. A fight that will change a lot of things. Tonda later but not without some bloodshed. Be warned: this is an ugly one.
1. Day 1: What Price Carelessness?

Three Days  
By S. Mark Gunther 

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Day 1  
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It had been a bad day. Todd Tolensky knew when he woke up it was going to be a bad day and he wasn't disappointed. Three hex bolts from Wanda, a walk to school in the pouring rain, a late detention and a lecture from Principal Kelly, two more detentions for not paying attention in class, a near black eye from Duncan Matthews over an accidental altercation and finally having to walk home after his detention. He knew that if there were ever days to go and skip school, this was one of those days. Every step brought him closer to wanting to fall down in the street and cry like a wimp. But he soldiered on, trying to just get home and get into bed and not arise for 3 days. The weekend was near and all he wanted was to be able to have time to recuperate.

He walked up the steps to the front door of the Brotherhood house, his back stooped over more then normal. Every fiber of his body was soaked. From the crown of his head to the soles of his worn out shoes he dripped water everywhere. Todd opened the door and walked inside, taking 10 steps before dropping his book bag onto the floor and crouching over on all fours on the wooden floor. He began to shake like a dog, trying in vain to get all the water out of his countenance. As he shook, he could feel all the tension of the day begin to rise off him. He felt like everything was going to be alright. This good feeling that began to envelop over his entire body was the last good feeling he'd feel for a while for he had the sad misfortune to get both Lance and Wanda soaked in his spray of water as he shook. He didn't notice the two of them walking into the hallway from opposite directions and before he could stop he had sprayed a lot of water on them. Wanda got the brunt of the spray and she took it hard.

"TOAD!!!!!!" Wanda screamed as she threw water off her newly cleaned red leather long coat. "What the fuck are you doing?!!!!" At Wanda's enraged screaming, Todd stopped and slumped to the ground. He looked at the source of the scream and saw a pissed off Goth girl with both fists glowing bright sonic blue. He knew another hex bolt was coming so he tried to ward her off as best he could. Lance wiped water out of his eyes just in time to see Todd crawling pitifully over to Wanda's legs.

"Sweetums...umm....I can explain...I was just drying to try off...I mean, I was just trying to die off....I mean....fuck, yo..." Todd stammered, his words all a jumble in his head as he tried to speak. Wanda put a hand up motioning for silence which Todd gave her. For a long moment, Wanda looked down at her wet coat before speaking, her eyes flashing and sparkling.

"I...Just...Had...THIS...CLEANED!!!! You asshole!!!" Wanda screamed again as she launched three hex bolts at Todd's prostrate form. They hit him dead on and knocked him ten feet back against the opposite hallway wall. She looked down at him and snorted a little before walking to the kitchen. Lance watched this macabre scene with nothing more then shock in his heart. He honestly didn't know how to feel at that moment as he looked at Todd's battered body. But then his heart was somewhat cheered when he saw Todd try to pick himself up. He failed and Lance was instantly at his side, attempting to pick the smaller boy up. With a snarl Todd shoved him off and rose slowly to his feet. He looked down at the bruises on his body, his arms in particular, and for a moment he seemed like he was going to cry. But then, he began to laugh. Sick, sad, angry, pissed off laughter flowed from his mouth as tears flowed down his green tinged cheeks.

"I love her...and she hurts me. She hurts me, just like my mother. She hurts me..." Todd said softly, his body giving way to racking sobs. Lance stepped forward again and put his hand on Todd's shoulder.

"Come on, Todd. I'll help you to your room and we can get you into bed, alright?" Lance said gently, trying not to frighten the obviously shattered boy. Todd once again shrugged off Lance's hand but this time he looked up at his friend with a sad smile.

"No, Lance. This is something I got to do on my own. But thanks anyway, yo."

"What?"

"You'll see." At that he began to walk to the kitchen where a still fuming Wanda stood in front of the sink trying to dry her off with a dish towel. He walked into the kitchen and stood near the doorway. "Wanda?"

"What now you little twerp?" Wanda spat, not turning around.

"We need to talk. Turn around so I can say what I want to say to you." Todd said calmly.

"I have nothing to say to you, you slimy asshole. You ruined my coat. Again!"

"Then that's all the more reason why you need to look at me because right now I'm going to dirty you and your coat up real bad, you crazy bitch." At the words crazy and bitch, Wanda froze. He had never called her that. Hell, in reality, Todd had never said one derisive thing against Wanda Maximoff and she knew it. Warning bells began to ring in her head but she paid them no mind. She turned around, her powerful hands already glowing bright blue.

"What the hell did you call..." At that Wanda got no further. Her face was covered in a viscous green slime, so powerful and caustic that it knocked her back against the sink and cabinetry. Todd jumped at her and with one powerful leg, kicked her square in the chest, knocking her out of the picture window above the sink and into the backyard of the house. She laid there for a moment, not moving as Todd calmly hopped out of the hole in the window. He dragged her to a far corner of the large yard and walked to the other side. Todd began to disrobe, right there in the pouring rain. Soon he was naked except for a pair of jeans he had ripped into short in his haste. By this time Wanda began to scream bloody murder as the slightly toxic slime began to work its magic. She felt it drip away from her face as the rain fell down and she scrambled to her feet to see what the hell had happened. She saw something that defied explanation.

Todd stood across from her, shirt and shoeless with his short shaggy hair hanging from his head in a droop. He seemed to be in a fighting stance and his eyes shoe with a fiery gleam she had never seen before. By this time she and the rest of the Brotherhood, watching from the now gaping hole in the picture window, gaped at a Todd Tolensky that was unknown to the world. This was a Todd ready for war.

"What the hell was that?" Wanda yelled, her own hands charging with blue energy.

"That was for hitting me just now, bitch! Now we'll fight because that seems to be the only way you know how to communicate with people," Todd yelled back, his own voice cracking at the sound and tone of his words.

"Fine!" And at that, the fight was on. Both flung themselves at each other with reckless abandon. Wanda got in early shots as her hex bolts found their target time and time again. But soon after Todd connected with a vicious right hook that send Wanda flying back against the side of the house. A moment later she was nearly decapitated by a massive leaping clothesline from the smaller boy. She slid off to the side just as he came into range and watched as Todd put a dent into the side of the house with his swing.

The battle continued on. Todd continued to stay one step ahead of the mystical mutant, all the while screaming all the injustices that she had levied on his head along with all the bad things that had happened to him. Wanda countered by screaming back all her worst days in the asylum and how much she hated the very sight of Todd's existence. And so on. Both fighters continued to struggle on despite the abundance of blood that flowed from both their bodies on open cuts and bruises. After a massive, Ruthian swing with a tree branch Wanda suffered a near broken leg. She replied with a hex blast so strong it fractured several of Todd's already fragile ribs. And still they fought on.

Finally, after nearly 40 minute of battle, Todd stood opposite her and breathed heavily. He still stood in a battle position but he was badly slumped over and he saw that Wanda looked about the same. "It's time to end this," he breathed heavily, coughing up blood as he spoke.

"Fine by me. I'll enjoy beating your ass, Toad." At that, Todd finally decided to pull out all the stops. Leaping from the ground to a nearby branch, he leaped high into the air and came down in a massive torpedo drop kick. Wanda saw him high in the sky coming down and attempted to blast him before he got to her but she was too late to stop his attack. He kicked her once again in the chest and knocked her down. He rolled forward and without missing a beat, rolled back and locked her up in a judo choke he had once seen on television. Todd had her in such a way that she could breathe but that both her arms were stretched almost to the point of breaking from their sockets. Wanda felt stars coming to her eyes...then she heard his screaming.

"SAY MY NAME!! SAY MY NAME, BITCH!!!"

"Wha...what?" Wanda gasped painfully. Todd jerked harder on her near arm, causing another surge of pain to course through Wanda's upper midsection.

"I want you to finally say my fucking name, Wanda! Say who I am! Say my name!" Todd screamed in reply. When no reply came, he jerked even harder causing a pained squeal to escape her lips.

"T...Toad..." Todd finally lost patience with her and rolled back slightly onto his back to elevate her off the ground slightly to allow him to stretch her almost an entire 90 degrees with her arms akimbo. She screamed and cried and struggled but Todd kept the hold locked on. Rain streamed down both their bodies and the entire earth around them but he kept holding on. Finally, after almost another 10 minutes of stretching, she finally croaked out one simple word.

"Todd."

"What did you say?" Todd replied softly, still not easing up on the hold.

"I said..." Wanda croaked softly, "your name. Todd. You are Todd Tolensky."

"Finally you've acknowledged me," Todd whispered as he eased the hold down. Almost instantly Wanda laid face down on the wet grass, breathing heavily. "Forgive me for this, Wanda..."

"Wha..." She never got another word out before Todd's fist came down on one of her pressure points in her neck, knocking her out with one blow. Todd quickly checked her pulse and heartbeat, finding them to be fine and ok, if a bit ragged. Seeing her lying there, he scooped her into his arms and screamed out in a massive, heartbroken wail. For a long moment he screamed...then he collapsed lightly onto Wanda's soft back. Both were knocked out.

"Ok. Now we can get them," Fred boomed as he finally let go of the struggling Pietro. In a flash, the silver haired speedster rushed to the two youth and shoved Todd off, his face flooded with tears. He scooped Wanda up in his thin arms and began to run. Fast. Lance and Fred watched him go then scooped the young man into their arms. Fred cradled the unconscious form as Lance fished out his keys.

"To the mansion," Lance said softly. Fred nodded and both boys ran to Lance's jeep. As the tires spun and the vehicle roared off, the sun began to peek out from the clouds despite the still massive rainstorm. A sun storm was happening, the first in Bayville in many years. Lance couldn't help but feel a slight sense of irony come on as he spotted a huge rainbow over the Xavier mansion. With a sigh and a thrust on the gas pedal, he coaxed the machine forward to the place where both Todd and Wanda could be rested and get help.

-----

Bobby Drake put the last box away in the infirmary and sighed with a small smile. He was done. The entire clinic was just as Doctor McCoy wanted it and the idea that he'd make the blue furred mutant happy warmed his body all over. Not only did he work off the last of his detentions in-house for his latest prank on Kurt but he'd also scored some points with the man he liked the most in the world. For a moment he lost himself in the idea that his crush would finally give him a hug...and a kiss...and mabye more...

A siren pierced through the air, waking Bobby out of his revelry. He looked over and saw the control panel, newly installed and shiny, glowing with lights and whistles. He went to it and pressed a button and after a moment a picture of a very disturbed looking Professor Xavier appeared.

"Bobby! What is your status?"

"The entire clinic is clean down here, Professor. What's going on?"

"Get two beds prepped immediately. We've got wounded we need to take care of. Where is Beast?"

"Doc McCoy will be back from his run in about 10 minutes. I'll radio for him to come home immediately."

"Don't worry about getting him just yet, Bobby. We'll need those beds right now and if he's coming back soon we can wait while you get things started for me. We'll be downstairs in 5 minutes. Xavier out."

Bobby stared at the now blank screen for a moment, not sure what the hell was going on but he snapped to attention and began to prep a pair of beds. Just as he turned down the last cover the door opened and two men carrying bodies came charging in. Bobby stepped back as he saw who the people were, his eyes hiding the shock in his mind. Lance laid Todd down on the far bed whilst Pietro fretted and fussed over Wanda's bedding. Soon both children were reclined and Pietro sped over to Lance. Bobby watched as the two of them began to speak, their voices soft but fierce.

"What the hell were you thinking, Lance?!" Pietro hissed, his body coiled and tense. "They could have killed each other out there!"

"And if they had, they would have settled their issues, wouldn't they?" Lance replied calmly. Pietro tensed for a moment before Lance's sinewy hand clasped his shoulder. The silver haired boy looked up at his team leader with more then a little bit of rage in his eyes. "Look, this has gone on far enough. It's time we told them the truth."

"Which them, Lance? Who gets to know our business?"

"Xavier. Claws. The Witch. Doctor McCoy. Scott. Jean. They need to know because we're leaving the house. Or at the very least, Wanda and Todd are not staying there. They both need psychiatric help and here's where they're going to get it."

"Are you serious?!!"

"Yes. And one other thing." Lance took a deep breath before speaking again. "You're finally going to tell Wanda what happened to her on Arrowrose. Either you're going to tell her or Todd is. Or I will. But one way or another she's going to know what happened to her."

"You can't be serious, dammit!"

"I am. And so is Fred. That's why we held you back from breaking up this fight. this had to happen."

"Bullshit." At that Pietro turned around and looked at Fred who stood against a wall, his large shirt covered in blood. "Is this how you feel as well?"

"Yeah. This is too much, 'Tro. it's time to stop."

"Then fuck both of you. My father will hear about this..." Pietro sped off in a wake of wind nearly knocking over Professor Xavier who stood in the doorway watching this scene. For a moment, no one spoke.

"I guess you want to get them treated, right Lance?" Xavier asked calmly. Lance nodded and looked at the two youth who writhed quietly on the beds.

"That's why we're here. But it's not the only reason."

"What else is there?"

"We'll tell you after we get them treated. But first, they need help. Now."

"And they'll get it. Whomever they are," Hank McCoy replied as he walked into the room. He surveyed the scene for a moment then looked at Lance while walking toward Wanda's bed. "what happened to the two of them?"

"They had a lover's spat."

"Must have been some fight," Hank replied softly as he peeled out of his wet running things and slipped into a white jacket held out by a shyly standing Bobby. He tussled the young boy's hair and turned his gaze to Todd. "They're not critical?"

"No. But they are rather beaten up. Wanda kicked Todd's ass after an altercation involving her red jacket. Todd finally fought back and they beat the hell out of one another." Lance sighed as he walked to the door. He looked at Professor Xavier for a moment before looking again at Fred. "Professor, would you mind if Fred and I took a nap somewhere before we talk to you guys?"

"I'll do you one better, Lance. Both of you spend the night here. We'll talk about this later but you don;t have to rush home. In fact, I know you'll be staying till you know their conditions."

"We will. And thank you." Lance nodded at Fred who nodded back and filed out of the room. Professor Xavier turned to leave but looked over his shoulder to Bobby and Hank for a moment.

"Get them stabilized and then meet me in my office, Henry. Call before you come up. We're in for a long night, my friend." Hank nodded as Professor Xavier rolled out of the infirmary.

--- 

**A/N: **Well. This one was violent. Blame a lot of watching and reading really angry fanfiction on this one. Most people will think this a departure in tone for me, but some of my old readers from the Ranma 1/2 days know I love writing a good expansive fight scene every now and again. The idea of Wanda and Todd having a titanic fight seemed so right for me and now was the time to write it. I honestly believe that Todd very much could kick Wanda's ass if he tried. The issue is, would he ever be driven to that point? This fic will answer that question and more.

Anyway, review if you like. Part 2 will show why Fred and Lance let the fight go and we'll see Jean try to counsel Wanda. Be scared. :D


	2. Day 2: The Knockaround Kids

  
  
Day 2

Lance woke up from his slumber and looked around his surroundings. For a moment he didn't know where he was then he remembered the fight and where he was. He looked over at Fred who slumbered loudly on an adjacent cot. Lance let out a deep sigh and walked over to the door. He opened it and walked to the kitchen, almost instinctively knowing where it was, his memories from the past kicking in as he began to move. As he entered the kitchen he suddenly craved something sweet. Lance was not known as someone who always had to have sweet treats but every once in a great while he needed something to satisfy his cravings. The kitchen was dark yet not totally black; the rain from the afternoon had almost ceased leaving a grey overcast pallor over the sky. The windows in the kitchen reflected this and the entire kitchen seemed to be not sleeping but not alive either. A kitchen in stasis which was just the place Lance wanted to sit.

As he walked to the refrigerator a light clicked on over his head. He turned and saw Kitty standing in the doorway, slightly slumping over whilst looking at him. Her eyes were alive and bright but her face was serious. Lance walked to the fridge and looked inside.

"Hey Kitty," he said quietly over his shoulder. He could hear her move but he could not see her move to a counter adjacent to the fridge. She leaned against the countertop and watched his lithe, muscular frame standing in the light of the fridge and the ceiling lamp. Kitty could feel what she once felt for Lance reoccurring more and more and she didn't like it.

"Hey yourself. Like, why are you here?"

"We had some business to take care of."

"We, meaning the Brotherhood?"

"Yes." Lance turned and looked at her a moment. "Could you please turn off the light? I would rather not be in light if you're going to be here."

"Why Lance? Can't you stand to look at me in the light?" Kitty asked with more then a little acid in her voice. Lance smiled sadly and looked back at the woman he once loved.

"Of course I can. The thing is, I don't want you to look at me in the light. You might not like what you see now."

"I always have..."

"Sure."

"I mean that, Lance! I...I still love you."

"I'll respond to that when we're sitting in darkness." Lance went back to looking in the fridge. Kitty sighed and walked to the wall fixture, clicking the light off. The fridge light and the natural light from the window gave Lance a sheen and glow that surprised her. He pulled a tray of fruit from the second shelf and sat down at the center island. Bar stools rounded the serving/preparation area and he sat facing Kitty in the doorway. Kitty walked next to him and sat down to his left. She grabbed a piece of melon off the tray and slid it into her mouth automatically. The steady sound of rain was the only sound, save Kitty's crunching on her melon. Lance popped a piece of pineapple into his mouth and chewed for a moment before speaking.

"Kitty, if you still love me then why did we even break up in the first place?"

"I...I don't know, Lance. All I know is that at the time I just didn't know what I wanted."

"Do you now?"

"A little."

"Kitty," Lance said quietly, "You never told people how much you liked me. You always insisted that we go out incognito. You never let me love you like I wanted to..."

"You mean you never got to have sex with me?" Kitty asked as neutrally as she could. Lance's eyes flashed for a moment but then he shrugged and smirked.

"Actually, no. I hadn't planned on asking you to come to bed with me for a long time. What I meant was I was never able to come to the house, pick you up, hold your hand in public and treat you like a lady really should. I never got the chance to love you without fear."

"Well Lance, you didn't do your part to help that," Kitty said softly. She looked at Lance with a tight expression on her face, all her emotions coming back to the surface after so long. "You and Scott kept fighting so much that I couldn't just love you like I wanted to."

"Even after I came to the house here the first time?"

"Lance..."

"Even after Bobby set me up and I took the fall for him?"

"Lance, please..."

"Kitty, you don't get it." Lance stood up and walked over to her. He slid his hands to her shoulders and held them there for a moment. Kitty looked into his eyes and for a moment neither spoke. "For once I just wanted you to say that you were my girlfriend and I was your boyfriend. For better or for worse, no matter what side we were on. Or what side we are on now."

"Don't you think I wanted to?"

"Sometimes I wonder if you did..." Lance replied softly. Both teens fell silent and more rain fell outside. Kitty began to cry a little and made moves to want to run away but she couldn't move much with Lance's grip increasing on her skin. Not long after she stopped trying and soon only her silent cries were heard. Finally Lance broke the silence.

"Kitty, I do want you. Still. I want you so bad it hurts sometimes. But I've got more then just my own desires to think about. I've got the rest of the team to concern myself with. Todd and Wanda are sitting in the infirmary and Pietro's off to tattle to his pisshead father. I've got to take care of them first. Lord knows I've failed them enough..."

"What's...what's wrong with Todd and Wanda?" Kitty asked, genuinely confused at these words.

"They had a fight. A bad one. Todd basically beat the living hell out of her in the process of finally standing up for himself. To put it another way, if Todd and Wanda ever fight again, I'm not sure one of them won't kill the other. Things have degraded that badly for the two of them and this was the boiling point." Lance let his grip lessen for a moment before sliding his hands down to his sides completely.

"But I thought Todd loved Wanda..." Kitty said, shocked at his words.

"He does. But every man has his breaking point. Wanda just hit him in the wrong place at the wrong time. She deserved it."

"So you believe that just because a man is angry he should hit a woman who makes him angry?" Kitty responded, appalled at her former boyfriends words.

"No," Lance said softly with a violent shake of his head. "I also don't think that any woman has the right to hit or attack another man whilst she is angry. Todd was innocent for a lot of what she's attacked him for and frankly I hope he's knocked some sense into her."

"That's horrible!"

"Life is horrible, pretty Kitty. Life fucking sucks." Lance stepped back and went to face the window, his face glowing from the light from the rainy skies. He sighed softly as Kitty watched him again, a new sense of both wonder and dismay permeating her face. "Me and Todd are very similar, Kitty. All we want is to be respected and loved. At least I'm respected, somewhat. And I once had love. Todd's never had either and I'm tired of seeing Wanda disrespect him for loving her. She should be so lucky to have someone who wants to be in her life as much as Todd does, considering that her own Brother is scared to death of her."

"Well he is rather dirty, Lance. You guys might be used to him but I know I'd hate it if he liked me."

"...At one time, he did."

"What?"

"Right before I asked you out the first time, he took me aside and told me how much he liked you. It wasn't much...but it was enough to make me want to wait. He urged me to ask you out, even knowing that he'd like a shot a you just once. Todd's that good a friend to let things go when he knew I was madly in love with you." Lance turned around and looked at Kitty with hard, sad eyes. "You say he's bad for being dirty, I say he's awesome for the shine underneath the dirt."

"Lance, I never knew..."

"You never were supposed to. He swore me to secrecy. But you needed to know because what you just said shows why I might never be able to love you ever again..." At that Lance turned and refaced the window. Kitty wrapped her arms around his waist and pressed close to him.

"I don't understand, Lance. Please...talk to me..."

"Kitty, it's like this: you see me and you want to change me for you. I never wanted you to change for me because I loved you just the way you were. I just want you to love me warts and all. I might not believe everything that Magneto's pushing but even if I stayed bad for life, you'd still have to love me for me, for me to even believe that you are capable of loving me right." Lance sighed and the rushing of air filled his lungs with a sound that made Kitty wince. He was so thin that she wondered if he had been eating well at all. A lump in her throat formed as she pressed close to her former boyfriend. "Fred and Todd may never get to see that kind of love that I want. Fred's dealing with it well because sadly, this is his life. But Todd isn't and I'll be damned if I watch him go through what I went through with you. I'll kick both Wanda and Pietro out of the house first. Todd's too good for Wanda and I'm too bad for you, apparently. But we're the same: we're the knock around kids. We're the disposable soldiers. We don't count for shit."

"You do count, Lance..." Kitty murmured into his back.

"Then prove it."

"How?"

"Promise me that the next time someone like Scott or Jean or Claws says something totally wrong about us, you'll stand up for us. It has to be totally wrong, to the point where even you know they're just talking shit." Lance turned around and gripped Kitty's arms whilst still in her embrace. The fire in the brown haired boys' eyes made Kitty wince slightly but she held her eyes to his. "You say you love me, and then you need to die for me. Cause lord knows I'd still die for you, even now." At that, Lance looked up and saw another figure in the doorway. Scott Summers stood watching the pair with a strangely neutral look on his face. But by the way his hand was shaking and the tightness of his neck nerves and muscles appeared, Lance assumed that he had heard everything. Scott spoke first after a moment.

"Alvers, we're ready for you in the conference room."

"Alright. Is Fred there?"

"Yeah. Everyone's assembled."

"Good. I'll be right there." At that he leaned his head down and kissed Kitty on the top of the head. They squeezed each other hard for a moment then Kitty turned around swiftly and walked past Scott, not daring to speak to her team leader. Lance shuffled his feat for a moment then walked to Scott. The two team leaders looked at one another for a moment.

"How much did you hear?"

"Enough to prove that things have changed."

"They haven't changed, Scott, they've gotten worse. There's a difference."

"Point." At that Scott looked down at his shoes, clearly ill at ease with looking at his contemporary under such circumstances. "I saw Todd and Wanda in the infirmary."

"And?"

"And they look horrible. What happened to them, Lance?"

"They had a fight, Scott." Lance shrugged his shoulder and smiled a little. "A lover's spat."

"That was no lover's spat, Lance. Wanda's going to have a broken arm for two weeks behind this. What the hell were you thinking?" Scott's voice, for once, was not filled with disdain, scorn, or hatred but merely concern on a deeper, more cerebral level. Lance noticed this and put down another one of his mental shields.

"I was thinking that it was time to make a change. Todd needs to finally stand up for himself and if Wanda gets hurt then so be it."

"I don't understand..."

"You will once you listen in to me and Baldy's conversation." At that, the Alvers smirk came back in full force. Scott recognized this and looked back at him with his typical unfunny expression. "So will you show me the way to his office?"

"Gladly, hood." At that, both boys walked down the hallway to the Professor's study. Lance spoke after a moment's walk.

"Scott, you're leading 11 kids here. How do you do it?"

At that question, Scott nearly halted in his tracks and looked at his protagonist with wonder. But he kept walking and kept silent till his mind formed a right answer. "You just keep on showing up, I guess. Every time you do for them, eventually they will do for you."

"Being a leader is hard, man."

"Tell me about it," Scott answered with a quiet smile.

Todd opened his eyes and looked around for a moment. He didn't expect to see a large furred man looking over him. He blinked dreamily and tried to move. A grunt escaped from his lips as he found he couldn't move much. Pain rippled through his body like slow waves on a calm lake.

"Don't move much, Todd," Hank said softly, careful not to wake the sleeping Wanda in the other bed. "You're here in the infirmary in the mansion. We're going to take care of you but you can't get better if you move around much right now."

"What...what's going on?" Todd asked groggily.

"Apparently you and Wanda had some sort of altercation and your teammates brought the both of you here for treatment. It's a wonder, from what I'm seeing, that you can even be awake now, let alone talk."

"Wanda and I fought, yo."

"I can see that," Hank replied softly, "But what I'd like to know is why you went that route."

"What you mean, yo?"

"Why would you assault a girl at all, Todd? What is going on?"

"Wanda deserved it," Todd said darkly.

"No girl ever deserves to be beaten like you beat her, Todd. Now I want to know what happened."

"Doctor, have you ever been hit by someone just for getting them wet by accident?"

"No."

"Have you ever been assaulted with mutant powers for an honest mistake?"

"No, I haven't."

"Did you ever cower in terror at the sight of someone just because of the mere idea that despite your love for them, they had the power and the temperament to hurt you bad?"

"No."

"Doctor McCoy, for the last year, I've loved and chased Wanda Maximoff as hard as I possibly could. Every time she's on the rag I'm doing little things to make that time for her better. I'm buying her gifts and trying to talk to her just to get some idea of what is bothering her. And all I get is beatings and hex bolts. I've decorated every wall in our house with an imprint of my ass in the wall. And it's all because of her." Todd paused a moment, a silent tear flowing down his cheek. "You know, maybe I was wrong to go to Arrowrose and save her. Maybe I was wrong to keep silent about what Mastermind did to her, yo. Maybe I'm wrong for loving her. But I'm not wrong for trying to be there for her. I hit her because she fucking well deserved it. I hurt her and I'll never forgive myself but if she ever touches me again I'll break her neck for good. I'm tired of her and her family treating me like shit and I'm not taking it anymore."

"I see. Have you told her this?"

"No."

"Well...you just did. She's awake and she looks like she heard the entire thing." A pause as Todd could hear the familiar sound of Wanda's hands charging up a pair of hex bolts. For a moment, he remembered the first time he saw her and how much he desired her. He remembered how much he would give to have her in his life...and then he remembered the first time she ever hexed him into a closet and locked it to get him away from her. He remembered all the food thrown at him and he remembered the look of sheer disgust in her eyes when he smiled at her. His once warm heart began to grow cold and he decided then and there to have no more lies.

"So fucking what? So Wanda knows that I love her and hate her and fear her. So fucking what, Doc. I'm lying here and the moment I'm better I'm going to find Magneto and beat the shit out of him for what he did to her." He rolled onto his side and groaned but he saw that Wanda lay adjacent to him looking both very angry and very confused. "You want to know the truth, Wanda? I didn't want you to be lied to at all. I wanted to tell you what happened and beg you to stay. But I got convinced by Pietro that to keep you around I had to lie. For that I'm guilty and I'm sorry. I made a mistake then and I'm paying for it now. But I'm not guilty for loving you. At least I love you unlike everyone else who just hates you and is scared of you. And you know what? I'm beginning to hate you too."

"Then hate me then, motherfucker! Hate me! Just let me be alone, you slimy creep!" Wanda screamed out in anger. She struggled against the bounds that held her to the bed, her eyes red and angry. "What right do you have to say you love me when all you and everyone else I know has hurt me? What do you know about love?"

"I know that every time you've ever needed anything I've tried to get it for you. Every time you're on the rag, I try to keep people quiet for you. Every time you got sick, I made food for you and nursed you back to health. Never has a day gone by when I've not tried to talk to you. Never has a day gone by when I haven't tried to love you," Todd replied softly.

"So what?" Wanda said bitterly, the anger in her heart beginning to bleed off and dissipate into sorrow.

"So I deserve a little more respect. I don't care that you're violent and crazy. Look what I did to you!" Todd rose out of the bed and hobbled over to her. Hank didn't stop him as he knew that he would just get a foot or a fist in the tenderest area on his body for thanks. He did however prepare a pair of syringes for injection when necessary. "I beat the shit out of you when everyone treads on eggshells around you because you're so big and bad and Goth. So. Fucking. What."

"Stop this...just shut up..." Wanda muttered softly.

"Oh no, Wanda. We're just getting started. You want to know why you were in the mental hospital in the first place. Your father decided he just didn't want to deal with your insanity so he locked you up. Baldy sometimes came to see you but even a mental giant like him couldn't crack you. So he left you too. Then Mystique takes you out on your father's orders and tries to manipulate you. But when she couldn't, Magneto sacked Mastermind on you to erase your hatred of him. Then I saved you and you hurt me. You say I don't care and I do all this for you." He stood wobbly against the rail of Wanda's bed and looked down on her with sadness in his eyes. She looked back at him and for a moment neither spoke.

"Wanda, do you even want people to care about you? Do you want people to stop walking out on you?"

"...Sometimes."

"Only sometimes?"

"Sometimes I just want to be left alone...but most of the time I just want to not be aggravated to death. You aggravate me, Todd. You don't mean it but you do."

"So you don't hate me?"

"I never did...but you do piss me off."

"How?"

"You just...I don't know..." Wanda said angrily. She peeled her gaze away from his and looked over at the doorway for a moment. "You don't even annoy me that much. I'm just crazy and ugly and psychotic. You don't need someone like me."

"Hardly. If anything, Wanda, you all I need to get by, yo. You don't get it." Todd climbed over the rail and sat on the end of the bed before sliding up the bed and lying against the railing, looking at her whilst lying on his side. She rolled over and looked at him before he slid a hand to her cheek and gently touch-loved her. "You don't get that all I've wanted was for you to give me a chance. Even now, all I want is a chance. I want to figure out why you're so angry and what I can do to keep you from blowing up. I want to help you...I want to love you."

"Then why did you hit me?"

"...Anger. I just snapped, Wanda." Todd's eyes went down for a moment. "I had had the worst day imaginable and you hit me for something I didn't mean to do. It felt like to me that all you were doing was hitting me to hit me and I got tired of it. I have never wanted to hit you ever but I just lost control."

"And what makes you think I'll ever trust you again?"

"You never did." At that, Wanda's eyes snapped to his and she searched his soul with a gaze into his murky pools. She searched him for a moment and found herself wanting because, in fact, he was right. She had never trusted him with anything, let alone gave him a chance to be her friend. Wanda could see him trying, one last time, to be with her and she decided to take a chance. A large chance but a chance nonetheless.

"Why do you love me, Todd?"

"Why do I need a reason to love you?"

"Because. Things just don't happen without any reason, Todd. You get all the worst from me and you still love me. Why?"

"Maybe it's because I love you in spite of all you are bad. True love loves someone for all they do, both good and bad."

For a long moment, Wanda couldn't meet Todd's gaze and slid out of his touch. "I'm so not worth you," Wanda muttered softly.

"Yes you are."

"No I'm not. I'm not worth you because you're doing the very thing my own brother can't do for me. And I can't appreciate that."

"What makes you think you can't?"

"I just know."

"Then I'll just have to show you how not to think and how to just do," Todd said softly. At that neither spoke for a while then a small beep whistled out over the silent infirmary. The silent Doctor McCoy stood and walked to the door before speaking to the pair.

"I need to go. Will you both be good while I am gone?" he asked, half joking. Todd nodded and slid a bit closer to the girl on the bed. Wanda said nothing but reached out and clasped a hand to Todd's arm. The both of them kept silent and tender as they looked at one another. Hank walked out and made his way to the study, shaking his head along the way. Soon he reached the main study and walked in to see the rest of the adults, Scott, Jean, Lance and Fred sitting and talking. Or rather, Lance was talking, Fred was watching and Scott was sputtering.

"You can't be serious!" Scott exclaimed.

"I am. Todd and Wanda can't stay in that house anymore and neither can we. There is another wing on this house. We can stay there, get ourselves together and co-exist. But if we don't, I'm honestly convinced that this will happen again. Scott, you might not care about Todd or Wanda but I do," Lance said slowly and with authority.

"But can we be sure it's not a trap?" Jean asked, rather innocuously.

"It's not. It's not because if I know Pietro, he'll be at his father's base right now telling him that he needs to come down and save us. Or tattling. Or something."

"We're not letting Wanda and my little buddy go back to our house. They need help," Fred said slowly, his body leaning heavily against a bookcase. "My little buddy deserves happiness and I'm not stopping till he gets it. As for Wanda, I can take her or leave her. But she is Todd's love and for that reason alone, I'll make sure she is safe, even if I have to break her legs."

"I never knew you could speak like that," Jean said to Fred. Fred looked at her and smiled sadly.

"I'm not dumb, Jean. Just slow. Besides, this has been building for a long time now," Fred replied.

"Lance, can you assure me that if we let you stay that no one of this group will betray us to Magneto?" Professor Xavier asked quietly. "Security, and Wolverine here, demands an answer."

"I can't say for Wanda what she will do. But I can guarantee that Fred, Todd and I will not. We'll leave before we betray you now. And I've got a feeling that Wanda won't either, once we tell her what is really going on." Lance looked off and sighed. "This is the best I can offer."

"Then it will have to do. For now." At that, Professor Xavier wheeled out of the desk area and stopped in front of Lance. "You all will be able to stay. Scott and Jean will show you to the rooms. Once Wanda and Todd are better we'll bring them into the rooms as well. Dinner is soon if you'd like to join us..."

"I think we will. At least I know Fred will," Lance answered with a smile. Fred nodded and rubbed his hands together a little. All four teens walked out and the adults were left. Professor Xavier turned around and faced his teachers with a solemn look.

"Your thoughts," Xavier said slowly.

"I don't like it, Chuck," Wolverine growled low from his corner of the room, "But frankly, Lance is right. The way those kids looked is something I hope I never see again. Ever. They have to stay here if for no other reason then to get them right in the head."

"I agree. I wish things had been better for them to join us," Storm added with a grimace, "But perhaps these are the winds of fate. We cannot turn them away."

"I concur, Charles. We have to give them another chance at a real life," Hank added from the ceiling. Xavier caught all their looks and thoughts and nodded his assent.

"Then we are in agreement: they will be ours now. I just wonder if Magneto will have something to say about all this," Xavier said with more then a little bit of worry on his face.

"After what Lance said he did to Wanda's memory, let him come." At that one of Wolverine's claws popped out of his arm, glinting in the light. "I'll love putting this blade in his head for that..."

"I'd help," Hank said softly.

---

**A/N: **Ok, before people flame me, let me state, for the record, that violence is wrong. Period. Against men, against women, it doesn't matter. Violence doesn't work. But it happens...and this was a piece showing what this was all about. I changed a bit of my idea to not have Jean talkt to Wanda till day 3 but it's coming. And please, keep reviewing and reading. This is not the easiest story to write and this just came under 5000 words, my longest chapter ever. So it's coming out quality...but it takes a while. So help me with your reviews. Thank you.


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